A Journey

Publisher's Summary

Tony Blair is a politician who defines our times. His emergence as Labour Party leader in 1994 marked a seismic shift in British politics. Within a few short years, he had transformed his party and rallied the country behind him, becoming prime minister in 1997 with the biggest victory in Labour’s history, and bringing to an end 18 years of Conservative government. He took Labour to a historic three terms in office as Britain’s dominant political figure of the last two decades.A Journey is Tony Blair’s firsthand account of his years in office and beyond. Here he describes for the first time his role in shaping our recent history, from the aftermath of Princess Diana’s death to the war on terror. He reveals the leadership decisions that were necessary to reinvent his party, the relationships with colleagues including Gordon Brown, the grueling negotiations for peace in Northern Ireland, the implementation of the biggest reforms to public services in Britain since 1945, and his relationships with leaders on the world stage. He analyzes the belief in ethical intervention that led to his decisions to go to war - most controversially of all, in Iraq.A Journey is a book about the nature and uses of political power. In frank, unflinching, often wry detail, Tony Blair charts the ups and downs of his career to provide insight into the man as well as the politician and statesman. He explores the challenges of leadership, and the ramifications of standing up, clearly and forcefully, for what one believes in. He also looks ahead, to emerging power relationships and economies, addressing the vital issues and complexities of our global world.Few British prime ministers have shaped the nation’s course as profoundly as Tony Blair, and his achievements and his legacy will be debated for years to come. Here, uniquely, we have his own journey, in his own words.

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful

History can only ever be accepted judgments

However it is far easier to accept these judgments when they come directly from the man who was, after all, leader of one of the world???s great powers, the United Kingdom, during such a historically significant window of time. This is a book that thoroughly transcends partisan politics. It helps the listener understand the complexities of leadership and realpolitik in our time, at least as Tony Blair saw it. More importantly it is a book about relations and how they are managed at this strategic level. The listener is taken through a first-person account of a range of issues starting with the Royal Family over the death of Lady Diana, and with Heads of State and the UN over the catastrophe in Kosovo, with Sierra Leone???s transition from war to peace, the robust relationship with US President George W. Bush following 9/11 - and the politics of moving into war and a nation-building role in Afghanistan and Iraq; and then dealing with terrorism in his own city of London. This is powerful, serious and thought provoking stuff that should not suffer the indignity of being thought of along party political lines. Naturally it can???t all be about international events, and it would be impractical for Tony Blair to write an autobiography without dealing with domestic political issues, especially the troubled relationship with Gordon Brown. However these issues are dealt with in a way that is not at all onerous for listeners from outside the UK and actually provides an interesting perspective on politics generally, that politically savvy listeners from many other countries will find much to identify with. Finally, Blair makes no attempt to disguise areas that he felt were not his proudest moments, and this balanced approach lends an essential credibility to his story that would severely degrade the worth of this work if it were not present.

What a wonderful opportunity to hear first hand what it is to be a world leader from the world leader himself. The book is many things. It is a study in the qualities of leadership. It is humorous and at times painfully personal and touching. It provides an intimate glimpse of the personalities other important world leaders. It is a lesson in the recent history of british politics and world affairs.